Cutting tool

ABSTRACT

A tool for cutting branches, hoses, electrical conductors, and like objects comprises a stationary part with an abutment, and a cutting part displaceable towards the abutment, said parts being separated in such manner that the object to be cut can be inserted laterally therebetween. The cutting part is a thin steel blade which is guided in a slot in a guide member. According to the invention, the guide member is displaceable towards the abutment and cooperates with a guide in the stationary part, and besides the steel blade and the guide member cooperate with spring means tending to retain the steel blade within the guide part.

llnite i 1 Hast [54] CUTTING TOOL 44 Stockholm, Sweden 22 Filed: July 15,1970

[21] Appl.No.: 55,034

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters Attorney-Beveridge & De Grandi [5 7] ABSTRACT A tool for cutting branches, hoses, electrical conductors, and like objects comprises a stationary part with an abutment, and a cutting part displaceable towardsthe abutment, said parts being separated in such manner that the object to be cut can be inserted laterally therebetween. The cutting part is a thin steel blade which is guided in a slot in a guide member. According to the invention, the guide member is displaceable towards the abutment and cooperates with a guide in the stationary part, and besides the steel blade and the guide member cooperate with spring means tending to retain the steel blade within the guide part.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEUMAY 9 I972 SHEET 2 [IF 2 INVENTOR PER SIGVARD HAST y -6 ,df QM:

FIGS

6 amwrw U a M s s E V CUTTING TOOL This invention relates'to a tool for cutting branches, hoses, electrical conductors, and like objects, comprising a stationary part with an abutment, and a cutting part displaceable towards the abutment, said parts being separated in such manner that the object to be out can be inserted laterally therebetween, the cutting part being a thin steel blade which is guided in a slot in a guide member.

The tool of the present invention is essentially characterized in that the guide member is displaceable towards the abutment and cooperates with a guide in the stationary part, and that the steel blade and the guide member cooperate with spring means tending to retain the steel blade within the guide part. The displaceable guide member prevents the steel blade from bending laterally, and the blade therefore can be subjected to heavy pressures without breaking.

The invention will now be described in more detail in the following, reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment, chosen by way of example, of the tool according to the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a tool which has begun to cut a branch;

FIG. 2 likewise is a lateral view, but with certain portions removed, the cutting of the branch not yet having begin;

FIGS. 3-5 are sections of leg details, taken along lines III- Ill, lV-IV, and VV in FIG. 1.

The tool of the present invention is in the form of pliers having two legs 1 and 2. The leg 1 is formed with an abutment 3 opposite a cutting part 4 displaceably mounted in said leg and adapted to be displaced towards the abutment by means of the leg 2 which is pivotally attached to the leg 1.

The cutting part 4 is a thin steel blade having a thickness of preferably 0.5 mm. To avoid any risk of breaking, the steel blade is guided in a slot 5 fitting the blade and provided in a guide member 6. v

The steel blade 4 and the guide member 6 cooperate with spring means 7 tending to move the blade and the guide member towards the abutment 3 with the steel blade 4 located within the guide member 6. In an alternative embodiment, the spring means may tend to move the steel blade 4 and the guide member 6 away from the abutment 3, with the blade 4 located within the guide member 6. By this arrangement, the blade 4 will not leave the guide member 6 until it penetrates into the material to be cut which will thus act as a further guide.

The guide member 6 is mounted on a rod 8 displaceable in the leg 1. The steel blade 4 is secured to a rack 9, and the rack end facing away from the blade 4 is bent and formed with an aperture through which the rod 8 extends, thereby serving as a guide for the rack 9.

The leg 2 has a ratchet 10 which is'adapted, for pushing the steel blade 4 out of the guide member 6, to engage the teeth of the rack 9 connected with the blade. For this engagement, the ratchet l0 cooperates with a spring 11 and besides has a setscrew 12 by which the stepwise advance made possible by the rack 9 and the ratchet 10 can be set.

The steel blade 4 is pushed out of the guide member 6 against the action of spring means 13 consisting of a helical spring fitted on the rod 8. One end of the spring 13 tends to urge the apertured end of the rack 9 against a stop 14 on the rod 8, and with this stop also the helical spring 7 cooperates. The stop 14 is so located that the front edge of the steel blade 4 lies at the front edge of the guide member 6 when the apertured end of the rack 9 rests against the stop 14. The spring 13 is so dimensioned that it returns the rack 9 against the stop 14 when the steel blade 4 is not subjected to frictional forces by the object which is being out, i.e., the steel blade is returned to initial position when the cutting operation has been completed. During the return movement of the blade, the ratchet 10 naturally must not engage any of the teeth of the rack 9, and to this end the ratchet 10 is so fonned that, when the leg 2 has beenswung completely inwards, it is held out of engagement with the rack 9 by the outwardly curved portion As is best seen from FIG. 2, the cutting edge 16 of the steel blade 4 is arcuate, preferably in the form of a circular arc or an ellipse, the top of the edge facing the abutment 3. An important features is that the cutting edge 16 lies in the center plane of the steel blade 4, whereby the blade cannot be inclined during the cutting operationflhe blade 4 is mounted for easy exchange.

The guide member 6 has a projection 17 which is to be brought into engagement with the branch or like object to be cut, in order to facilitate insertion of the branch in the tool into engagement with the abutment 3. In the alternative embodiment where the spring means 7 tends to move the steel blade 4 and the guide member 6 away from the abutment 3, the tool need not have the projection 17.

The leg 2 can be swung towards the leg 1 against the action of a spring 18 mounted on the outside of the tool to permit the guide member 6 to be inserted therein.

To prevent the rack 9 from being bent by the action of the ratchet 10, the rack cooperates with a roller 19 adapted to roll against the bottom of the leg 1. The permit said rolling motion, the rod 8 has a recess 20 accommodating the roller 19.

In the embodiment illustrated, the legs 1 and 2 and the abutment 3 are formed of bent sheet metal, but other possibilities exist.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and illustrated in' the drawing, but can be modified in several ways within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tool for cutting branches, hoses, electrical conductors and like objects, comprising a stationary part with an abutment, and a cutting part displaceable towards the abutment, said parts being separated in such manner that the object to be cut can be inserted laterally therebetween, the cutting part being a thin steel blade which is guided in a slot in a guide member, characterized in that the guide member is displaceable towards the abutment and cooperates with a guide in the stationary part, and that the steel blade and the guide member cooperate with spring means tending to retain the steel blade within the guide part.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it has a stepping device for pushing the steel blade out of the guide member.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the stepping device is a ratchet or the like mounted on a pivotal leg and adapted to engage the teeth of a rack connected with the steel blade.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the cutting edge of the steel blade lies in the centre plane of said blade.

5. A tool as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the cutting edge of the steel blade is arcuately fonned with its top facing the abutment.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 660 898 Dated May 9, 1972 Inventor(s) Per SigVaI'd East It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading, item [30] Foreign Application Priority Data should read: August 6, 1969 Sweden .10969/69 Signed and sealed this 17th day of October 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER JR, R0 7 Attestin v BERT GOTI'SCHALK Commissioner of Patents FORM PC4050 USCOMM-DC 6O376-P69 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: Iss5 0-356-334 

1. A tool for cutting branches, hoses, electrical conductors and like objects, comprising a stationary part with an abutment, and a cutting part displaceable towards the abutment, said parts being separated in such manner that the object to be cut can be inserted laterally therebetween, the cutting part being a thin steel blade which is guided in a slot in a guide member, characterized in that the guide member is displaceable towards the abutment and cooperates with a guide in the stationary part, and that the steel blade and the guide member cooperate with spring means tending to retain the steel blade within the guide part.
 2. A tool as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it has a stepping device for pushing the steel blade out of the guide member.
 3. A tool as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the stepping device is a ratchet or the like mounted on a pivotal leg and adapted to engage the teeth of a rack connected with the steel blade.
 4. A tool as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the cutting edge of the steel blade lies in the centre plane of said blade.
 5. A tool as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the cutting edge of the steel blade is arcuately formed with its top facing the abutment. 